Heart, Mind, Blood, Skin by K. Andrew Turner

Heart, Mind, Blood, Skin is at once joyful and painful. Turner goes directly into the pain that remains years after emotional abuse has occurred and allows us to witness for ourselves some of the most difficult parts of his life. I think, however, that my favorite poems of this very strong collection are those that deal with sexuality. We are drawn into the most intimate moments, how sex is drawn out of an evening of flirting and expectation. Here, he is engaging in direct truth telling and his truths are powerful and interesting to read.

–John Brantingham

Located in a narrative of body and obsession, Turner writes, “Every day the ritual is repeated. / The blue afternoon / our only face,” as he navigates the deserts of California, Aorta, and Arizona in this debut full collection.

–Michaelsun Knapp